Saturday, September 21, 2013

The Impact of Fair Trade in Villa Altagracia

Comunidad 16 recently traveled to Alta
Gracia, located in Villa Altagracia, here in the Dominican Republic, where we
got to tour the factory, got to know the workers, and saw how Alta Gracia is
impacting the lives of its workers. Alta Gracia, which translates to “High
Grace,” is the only factory in the world that supplies U.S. university bookstores
with union-made apparel. The workers at Alta Gracia all receive a
living wage, which is more than three times the minimum wage in the Dominican
Republic; thus, providing the workers a pathway to get out of poverty. This
“living wage” is the equivalent to $2.83 per hour in U.S. dollars, and the
Dominican minimum wage is only $.84 per hour.

It was personally difficult to
accept that the wages these workers receive are so little in U.S. standards. It
was even more disheartening to learn that the conditions and wages of Alta
Gracia are far from the norm in factories here in the Dominican Republic,
especially in the Free Trade Zones. Before the creation of Alta Gracia, the
factory was home to far worse conditions, where many of the workers were unable
to provide for their families because the wages were so low. Workers also
suffered because of the conditions in the factory. They were unable to get water as
they pleased, or even go to the bathroom at their own will. When the workers
tried to unionize, the previous company closed down operations and moved to
another area, leaving those workers unemployed. Unfortunately, this is the
reality for many workers around the world because the demand for jobs is so
high. Companies know they can go somewhere else if employees begin to fight for
better conditions and wages.

Thankfully, Alta Gracia came into
the lives of these particular workers. We were able to meet with the workers
and learn about their stories of hope and thankfulness due to Alta Gracia. We
were welcomed into the homes of two women who were able to build homes for
their families, something that would have never been a reality without the
living wage they now receive. One of these women even revealed to us that
before Alta Gracia, she was not even able to promise her children more than one
meal a day. The workers at Alta Gracia are now able to save some of their
earnings, which is allowing them to emerge step by step out of poverty.

It was amazing to see the impact of Alta Gracia in
these people’s lives, and it is something that is seen in the smiles of
everyone in the factory. They are all happy to do their work because of all the
blessings they are receiving from Alta Gracia. It was so encouraging to see
this type of business model function, and be successful, selling apparel in over
450 U.S. university bookstores. Even more encouraging is to know that Creighton is
among these universities, and that we can all do our part by sharing the good
news of Alta Gracia on campus, and by encouraging everyone to change lives
with the purchase of Alta Gracia clothing.